History Major
What better place to learn history than one of the oldest colleges in the United States?
With professors who are passionate about history and mentoring students, our location
within the historic Town of Chestertown, and adjacent programming sponsored by the
Washington College Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, you will
be deeply steeped within history throughout your time at the College.
The Department of History is dedicated to providing experiential opportunities to
students. At Washington you can learn how to navigate increasingly accessible digital
archives, hear visiting scholars speak on campus about their research, visit historical
sites and museums associated with your coursework, attend professional conferences,
or even apply for funds and scholarships to conduct your own research. Learn how to
research a micro-history, solving the mystery of one specific moment and putting it
in the context of the historical movement of the time. Putting these smaller pieces
of history into a larger historical context not only expands your research skills,
but your analytical ones as well. Many of our students complete research on local
history, drawing on local sources from courthouses, newspapers, and public archives.
Faculty want to prepare students for the kinds of careers they wish to pursue and
have expanded offerings in public history and archival work to meet those needs.
Ultimately, every history major will complete a Senior Capstone Experience (SCE),
a year-long independent research project in the form of a thesis and presentation
of your findings to your classmates, faculty, and staff. The major is flexible, making
it possible to double major or minor in other areas of interest. It is possible to
study abroad for a semester or year.
Isabelle Farber '26
Middletown, Maryland“Everybody in college grows into a different person, which I think is fantastic. The way that the College supports you and helps you grow into that person is very important. I think the most valuable thing I've learned here is to give myself grace and time to work through things. It's okay to take a step back and take a moment and come back to what you need to do. Sometimes college can be very overwhelming and very stressful. Being able to give yourself your own time to take a deep breath is very important. That's really hard to learn and do. But I think this campus has a really great support system for that. The professors are very understanding of that here.”
Explore Our Major
Student Opportunities
Conduct your own research, pursue an internship with a local organization, work with faculty on their current project, explore organizations, and check out what's possible around campus.
Outcomes
Washington College students go on to do incredible and interesting things with history. See common pathways, potential careers, and what our alum are currently up to here.
Faculty Expertise
Get to know our faculty outside the classroom through research opportunities. Faculty also serve as mentors and advisors during your academic tenure and as you complete your SCE.